Co-Occurrence of Taurodontism in Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate Patients in Subset of Indian Population: A Case-Control Study Using CBCT.

The present study aimed to assess the co-occurrence of taurodontism in nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) patients in a subset of Indian population using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).The study was a retrospective case-control kinds assessing 1500 CBCT scans over a period of 2 years; 67 scans out of 1500 showed cleft lip and palate (CLP). After fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 38 subjects out of 67 comprised the case group; 80 randomly selected subjects constituted the control group. The first and second permanent molars in both the arches (8 teeth) of each subject were assessed for the presence and severity of taurodontism using the objective criteria. Statistical analysis was done using the χ2 test. Inter and intraobserver agreement was evaluated by Kappa statistics.71.05% subjects showed taurodontism in case group, while 45% subjects showed its presence in control group; results being significant for both the groups. However, the comparison of number of teeth with taurodontism in the 2 groups came out to be statistically insignificant. Also no significant association of taurodontism was seen with gender or the different types of cleft (P = .437). Hypotaurodontism was the most prevalent type.There was a higher prevalence of taurodontism in both groups which had been underestimated in the previous studies. This emphasizes the significance of the use of CBCT in detection of dental anomalies which would otherwise go undetected.

Comparative evaluation of esthetic changes in nonpitted fluorosis stains when treated with resin infiltration, in-office bleaching, and combination therapies.

OBJECTIVES: Dental fluorosis leads to esthetic deviation and varies from nonpitted white opacities, dark brown stains to pitting or structural breakdown of enamel surface. Treatment for fluorosis depends on the severity of condition and includes both noninvasive methods and invasive methods. Recently resin infiltration has been proposed as an alternative treatment for nonpitted fluorosis. This study was done to evaluate the esthetic changes in nonpitted fluorosis stains when treated with resin infiltration, in-office bleaching and combination therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a randomized, single blinded controlled trial with four parallel arms with 1:1 allocation ratio. The intervention arms included bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide, resin infiltration, resin infiltration with increased infiltration time and a combination approach of bleaching and infiltration. Immediate esthetic changes were evaluated for two parameters including, 'Change in esthetics' and 'Improvement in opacities/stains' using a VAS scale by two independent observers. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test were done for intergroup comparisons. RESULTS: Best results for both the parameters were observed among patients treated with resin infiltration with increased infiltration time. Mann-Whitney U test revealed significantly better results for resin infiltration groups (alone or combination with bleaching) as compared to bleaching alone (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Resin infiltration procedure with tailored etching times and increased infiltration time exhibited best results in terms of change in esthetics and improvement in stains. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: White and brown opacities due to fluorosis have always been a concern for esthetics. In our study, resin infiltration technique with tailored etching times and increased infiltration time exhibited best immediate esthetic improvement for nonpitted fluorotic opacities and stains. These esthetic outcomes reaffirm the applicability of RI technique for nonpitted fluorosis, which was originally advocated only for white spot lesions due to early caries. This will in turn help the dentists to plan the esthetic management of nonpitted fluorosis in a micro-invasive manner.

Estimation of iron overloads using oral exfoliative cytology in beta-thalassemia major patients.

BACKGROUND: Iron overload is a medical condition that occurs when too much of the mineral iron builds up inside the body and produces a toxic reaction. Thalassemia is a genetic disorder of hemoglobin synthesis, which requires regular blood transfusion therapy, and the lack of specific excretory pathways for iron in humans leads to iron overload in the body tissues. It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. The estimation of iron levels in exfoliated buccal mucosal cells may provide a simple, noninvasive, and a safe procedure for estimating the iron overload by using the Perls' Prussian blue stain. METHODS: Smears were obtained from buccal mucosa of 40 randomly selected beta-thalassemia major patients and 40 healthy subjects as controls. Smears were stained with Perls' Prussian blue method. Blood samples were taken for estimation of serum ferritin levels. Images of smears were analyzed using the software image J software version 1.47v and correlated with serum ferritin. RESULTS: Perls' positivity was observed in 87.5% of thalassemic patients with a positive correlation to serum ferritin levels. CONCLUSION: The use of exfoliative buccal mucosal cells for the evaluation of iron overloads in the body provides us with a diagnostic medium that is noninvasive, easy to collect, store, and transport, cost effective, and above all reliable.

Root caries among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients visiting a hospital.

The relationship between diabetes and root caries has not received much attention in the literature; therefore the objectives of the present study were to assess the root surface caries among type 2 diabetic patients and the factors affecting root surface caries. A hospital based cross-sectional study was done among type 2 diabetics visiting a medical hospital in Bangalore. Those who had been diagnosed from at least past 5 years and were above 35 years of age were included. Among the 400 study subjects, root caries were present among 42% of the subjects. There was a statistically significant association for the presence of root caries and age (p = 0.00023), presence of periodontal pockets (p = 0.0004) and presence of loss of attachment of more than 3 mm (p < 0.0001). These findings indicate that there is a need for implementation of caries preventive measures with increasing age, and among those with compromised periodontal status among those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus.